Various proposals have heretofore been made for devices adapted, when closed, to encase an object and, when opened, to promote the viewing of, and/or access to, that object.
For example, U.S. Pat. No. 3,360,116 issued Dec. 26, 1967 in the name of R. A. Somers et al. discloses a device for storing and displaying an electrical appliance such as an electric shaver. The device comprises an open-topped box-like container and a cover therefor, the cover having thereon trunnions received in bearings formed in the sidewalls of the container such that the cover can be moved from its position at which it closes the container to a position at which the cover is upstanding at the rear of the container, with the back part of the cover acting as a prop to raise the rear of the container off of a support surface therefor.
As another example, U.S. Pat. No. 2,897,034 issued July 28, 1959 in the name of G. H. Kalen discloses a carrying case in which an electrical meter is adapted to be mounted in a body for which there is a cover joined to the body by a coupling consisting of pivots projecting from the body and slidably adjustable within arcuate slots formed in the cover. That coupling is such that the cover is movable through an angle of somewhat more than 90.degree. from a position at which it closes the front of the body to a position at which the rear end of the cover props up the rear end of the body when it is resting on a support surface.
As a further example, U.S. Pat. No. 3,232,397 issued Feb. 1, 1966 in the name of P. B. McCoy discloses a leather carrying case for an open-topped box-like insert adapted to be loaded with punch cards and then slid into the case. The McCoy case had two lid portions of which the forward one may be either closed to protect the punch cards or opened to permit access thereto.
The foregoing carrying case devices are unduly complicated and/or inappropriate for the carrying of an instrument and further, permitting adequate viewing of the instrument while it is in or on the device.